Curtain-stretcher.



W. B. STEARNS.

CURTAIN STRETGHER.

APPLICATION FILED 1350.4, 1912.

Patented June 24, 1913.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

Z0 il /7025686: 6 Zd @074? 6? W. 0mm

W. B. STEARNS.

CURTAIN STRETGHER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 4, 1912.

Patented June 24, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

To all whom it may concer'ni intro 3. s'rmns, or msn'awaxn, INDIANA.

cunralm-srnnrcfnnn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application flledibecember 4, 1912. Serial No. 784,809.

Be it known that I, WALDO B. STEARNS, a citizen of the'United States, residing at Mishawaka, in the county of St. Joseph and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Curtain- Stretcher-s, of which the following is a specification.

J. y invention relates to-curtain stretchers, quilting frames and the like.

It is one of the objects of my invention to provide a curtain stretcher or the like that-can be adjusted for curtains, etc, of differentlengths and widths.

Another object of my invention is to provide a curtain stretcher or the like that can be folded up when not in use so that it may readily be transported from place to place and can be stored away when not in use so a: to occupy the smallest possible amount of space.

A still further object of my invention is to provide an adjustable and foldable curtain stretcher that is simple and durable in construction, and that can be manufactured at an exceedingly low cost.

With these and other objects in view, the present invention consists in thecombination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the ac compan'yiug drawings,

it being understood that changes may be made in the form, proportions, size and minor details without departing from the scope or sacrificing any of the objects of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows the stretcher in folded position; Fig. 2 shows the same partly open; Fig. 3 shows the stretcher entirely open; Fig. 4 is a detailed view, showing the center coupling members or castings; Fig. 5 is a detailed View showing one of the corner pieces; and Fig. 6 is a detailed view showing a hook, a plurality of which are mounted on the supporting wires attached to the inner edges of the framea My improved curtain'stretcher is preferably rectangular in shape, and comprises the side rails A and B.

The side rail A is composed of the bars 1, 2 and 3, 4, the bars 1 and 2 being slidably mounted on each other and the bars 3 and 4 being also slidably mounted on each other for permitting longitudinal adjustment of and A, and the end rails B and particularly. pointed out in the appended claims,

the stretcher. The adjacent ends of the bars 1 and 3 are fixedly secured in the center couplings 01' castings 5, the abutting ends of which are connected by the hinge 6. The plates 6' of the hinge 6 are preferably secured to the upper surfaces of the castings Patented June 24, 19 13 5, while the lower surfaces of these castings are provided with the abutting U-shap'ed flanges 7. To one of the flanges? is pivotally secured a clip or clamping member 8 which straddles the bridge portions 7 of the U-shaped flanges 7 when these flanges abut, thus securing the castings 5 in alinement with each other and preventing them break- 1ng joint. The outer ends of the bars 2 and 4 of the rail A are fixedly secured to L or angle-shaped corner pieces 9, while the free ends of the bars 1, 2 and 3, 4 are provided with clips or straps 10 to permit the bars 1 and. 2 and 3 and 4 tohave a rectilinear sliding movement relative to each other.

' The side rail A is constructed substantially identical with the side rail A, being composed of the sliding. or adjustable bars 1, 2 and 3, 4, provided with the -castings 5' and the clips 10. The outer ends of the bars 2 and 4 are pivotally connected, how'- ever, to corner-plates 12, which corner plates are somewhat different in shape from the L or angle-shaped corner pieces 9 of the's'ide rail A. The L-shapedor angle corner pieces 9 are composed of two L-shaped plates 9' and 9 preferably of sheet metal, and

spaced apart. These L-shaped plates 9' and 9 are connected along one edge only by the web 13, the two plates ,being substantially identical in shape and disposed parallel to and in alinement with each other, the two plates being spaced from-each other by the web 13 for a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the bars 1 and 3. The corner pieces 12 are composed of two plates 12 and 12 substantially rectangular in shape and spaced apart for a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the bars 2 and 4, the two plates being connected along one edge by the web 14. The web 14 is located on the inner sides of the plates 12' and 12 as shown, and are cut away as at 15 to permit theends of the bars 2 and 4 to enter between the plates where they are pivotally secured by means of the pivots or bolts 11,

these pivots or bolts being located preferably at the outer corners of the plates.

The end rails B and B the sliding bars 16, 1'1 and are composed of 16 and 17, re

spectively, provided with the clips or hands pieces, as at 12". It will also be seen that the end edges of the bars 16 and 16 are substantially flush with the cut away ends of the webs 1 1, as at 12 of Fig. 3. When my improved curtain stretcher is folded on the hinges 6 the folded portions of the side rail A may be swung-outwardly on the/pivots 11 until they occupy thespaces 12 of the corner pieces 12, thereby permitting the bars 1, 2, 3 and A of the side rail A to lie substantially parallel and contiguous with the end rails B and B.

All of the bars of the side rail and end rails A and A B and B, respectively, are provided with wire rods 20 rigidly secured to each bar, upon which rods hooks 21 such as shown in 6 are mounted at slide. These hooks are provided with eyes 22 to receive the wire rods, there being a number of these hooks disposed on each ofthe rods for engagement with the curtain to be stretched. I have not shown the hooks 21 mounted on the rods 20 in the several views, as it would tend to confuse the drawings, but it is obvious that these hooks may be mounted on the'wire rods 20.

It will be seen that when the curtain 40' stretcher is in its open or distended position it may be said to consist of two U-shaped frames hinged together at 6, one of the U- shaped frames having the end rail B as the bridge piece and the bars 1 "and 2 of the side rail A and the bars 1 and 2 of the side rail A as the legs, the other U-shaped frame having the end rail B as its bridge piece and its legs composed of the bars 3, 4 and 3, 4 of the side rails A and A, respectively. When the curtain stretcher is folded on the hinges 6 oneof the U-shaped frames will coincide with the other U-shaped frame. To complete the folding operation it is only necessary to then swing the folded side rail A upon the pivots 19 in proximity to the end rails B and B, and to swing the folded side rail A upon the pivots 11 to a position in proximity to the end rails B and B but on the side opposite to that occupied by the folded side rail A. I

To more completely describe the folding operation of my improved curtain stretcher, assuming that the stretcher is in open position as shown in Fig. 3, and

it is desired to fold the same for storing away, the first step is to release the clips 8 and fold the frame by means of the hinges 6, as in Fig. 2. The folded side rail A is.

then turned on the pivots 11 so as to describe an arc of substantially of 270, thus bringing the folded side rail A into a position parallel to and contiguous with the end rails B and B. The folded rail A is then swung inwardly on the pivots 19 describing an arc of substantially 90 and is folded against the other side of the end rails B and B, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, the end rails B and B having the folded side rails A and A on opposite sides thereof.

Whenit is desired to open up the frame it is simply necessary to reverse the folding operation. When it is desired to adjust the frame longitudinally or transversely the sliding bars of the side rails or the end rails, as the case may be, may be adjusted to the desired extent and clamped by the set-screws 24 passing through the bands or clips .10,

10 18 and 18, respectively, and thereby holding the curtain stretcher rigidly in the adjusted position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A cu'rtain stretcher comprising side rails hinged intermediate their ends, end rails, one set of corner pieces connecting the ends of one of the side rails with one end of each of the end rails, other sets of corner pieces connecting the ends of the other side rail with the other ends of the end rails,

means whereby one of the end rails when folded on its hinge can be swung in an arc of substantially 270 to a position in close proximity with the end rails, and means whereby the other end rail when folded may be swung in an arc of substantially to a position in close proximity to the end rails.

2. A curtain stretcher comprising side rails each composed of two sets of adjustable bars, the sets of bars of each side rall being hingedly connected together, abutting means carried by the hinged ends of each set of adjustable bars, and a clip adapted to straddle said abutting ends for clamping same together.

3. In a curtain stretcher comprising side rails composed of sets of adjustable bars, hinged coupling members between the sets of bars of each side rail, flanges carried by the under surfaces of the coupling members, and adapted to normally abut, and a clip adapted to straddle and hold the flanges means forpivotally securing the other end of each end rail to the angular corner pieces, and means for pivotally securing the ends of the other side rail to the corner plates.

5. A curtain stretcher comprising side rails, each hinged iltermediate their ends, whereby each side rail may be folded upon itself, angular corner pieces secured to the ends of one of the side rails, said angular corner pieces being composed of two L- shaped plates spaced apart and connected together by a web, end rails, substantially rectangular corner pieces secured to one end of each end rail, said rectangular corner pieces being composed of two plates spaced apart and connected by a web along the inl I ner edges of the plates, pivotal means for securing the ends of the other side rail between the plates of the rectangular corner pieces, said pivotal means passing through the outer corners of the plates, and pivotal means for securing the other ends of the end rails between the L-shaped plates of the L. W; COOK, GEORGE OLTSCH. 

